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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · current · can · pitch · club · toast · tube · cabinet

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. tube — the underground
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. toast — bread
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. club — for golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com